Burial vault



May 14, 1935 o. A. BRUNK 2,000,919

BURIAL VAULT Filed July so, 1932 s Sheets-sheet 1 .e6 la 25.20 /7 ATTO NEY May 14, 1935.

A. BRUNK BURIAL VAULT Filed July 30, 1932 3 Sheeos-Sh'eer'rl 2 www INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

4May 14, 1935. c. o. A. BRUNK BURIAL VAULT Filed July 30. `19552 3 SheetsfSheet 3' INVENTOR @harles Qrlnh Patented May 14, 1935 Y e 2,'0eo,919v` l' BURIAL vAULT n Charles Brunk; fDetroitfjMich., assignorto Memorial; Mausoleum Corporation, Mich., a corporation 'of Delaware 7 applicaties my 'soi 193g; "serial Nq. 627,053/ i This invention relates to burial Vaults or mausoleums for individual interment; and' has Afor v an important object provisionof aniindividu'alvault structure adapted toprovide increased protection for its contents, and to include means -for`drying andcausing positivecirculation of 'the air'within the-.vault andaroundthe casket, thereby tending to keep remains in"better"condition than they can be kept .by more common methods' ofjburial..

f Another i important f object;` the i provisionof a vault whichneed rnotb'ei buried under-j ground, tlie'cover.` oil which maybe left at ground level, but Awhich will nevertheless provide as great protection as,.if notgreaterprotection than ordi-` nary underground interment." f f Still another object Vis to provide a burial vault ofsuch character with which a memorial plaque or t'abletfmayv beincorporated as.. a practically monolithic partv ofV the vault itself, and by itsr permanent attachment i thereto iprovid'e;` assurance thatth'e. markery or tablet andthe contents o fzthe vault will remain permanently. associatedv one withtheother. I ,f l

A still Vf urtherfand' important object is. the"v proi vision of means whereby that portion of thelvault to which the. tabletlis attachedyorthe-ftablet itself, or a cover if; no .tabletfis used," m'.a,y.- p1"ovii:le;posi-V tive: means for; causing circulation of, 'air within It is. a furtherixobject ofxthisinvention to; provide; such a mausoleuniin whichacasket is housed' within interfltting ,but spacedinnertv and outer; vaults; so` arranged that` positive air circulation, both between the casket and .inner vault, vand'Y between fthe `outergandinn'er "vaults," will 1. be as'-v` sured,;;.as' well contact' between. air so .circulating and aportion of the vault itse1f,'or 'its'coven which is. exposed "to fthe. 'air andi preferably'- also the sunlight almvegrou'nd;.therebyfprovidingboth a. temperature differential which causes air circulation; .andjmean'sifor dryingbyfwarming thev air contacting this .portion during circulation?. ,Stilljanother'oblect is the provision lof improved means for sealingvault. coversinfplace. .l

- A still further object is: the provision ofxa stack construction` `'enabling burying thervault I. under-1 ground if.;.desired,-.yet` providing for such .:c ontact between" the inV the vault: and affportion in"y communication; with. 'the vault which' is'iabove groundiasrwill. cause circulation of .the'air within thevault... Other objects and advantages will beapparent from. the following description v'vhere'in reference is madel tov .the accompanying drawings 'illustrating' preferred*` embodimentsof'` my.invention,y and (or *i2-f7) whereiny similar` reference numerals si'milarrparts throughout the several viewsf .f In 'the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionot-a vault constructed 5 according to the principlesVI ol my invention; showing in dotted' lines a casket positioned therein; I l

`Figure 2 kisa horizontal Vsection showingfthe floor ofthe i-nnervauIt in plan', takenA 'substan-y tiallyon'the line ZZ ofl igure 1 and looking inthe directionof the arrows;

Figure' 3 isa vertical section talen substantialf .ly on"the linelel of Figure 1 and looking inthe direction .of the-arrows ;g

modied cover construction;

Figure @is a detail sectionalview-takenon lmet- 410i Figure 1, 'but showing asomewhat Y Figure 5gi`s a similar` fragmentary detailjsecf tional *Viewk showing 'another` modiiication-in for `the 'tablet'bearing cover;l

which an upwardly extending stackis 'substituted the same with the" cover partly broken' awayarmy the inner-slabs removed; f

' Figureg isavertical section. takenglsubstanl tially on thev line 9-9 of yFigure Band loolging in the direction ofv the arrows;

Sme 1a/emma@ partly in jfverti'cal section of a somewhat modified Figure 1'0 kis a view similar. to Figurefof Y othersomewhat modified form of my invention; 'i

and`

`Figure 11 is a sectional' view thereof analogous oij Figure 10 arrows.

Referring of which -is clearly shownin thedrawings. 'Both' this and the inner vault may if'desired lpegcastgof plain or`reinforced concrete.V llheuppe'r e( of the outer Vault may be providedfwith a ralzibetor shoulder il adapted to receive'the complef `now to .drawings .character Ill designatesan outer vault,v the shape *y and lookinginftheldirection' .o fthe.v y

mentarily shaped lower edgefll ofthe c over. 3',. v

asllf `Extendingdownvv the inner surfacesof the sidesI ofthe vaultare .a'pluralityoi' taperedpilasters t' l5, adaptedjasshown in Figures 1V 2 'to` space. the inner vault from' the sides `of the vouter;but

becausefiof their tapered oc'instructonv to 'permit within the vaults and ground level. The lower circulation of air around the inner vault in all directions. Suitable upstanding studs or spacers I6, extending transversely but not entirely across the oor, may be provided to hold the inner vault spaced from the oor ofthe outer without preventing air circulation beneath the inner vault. An opening I'I is provided in the cover I0, surrounded yby an upstanding shoulder or boss I8, over which a smaller cover I9 may be sealed as by means of cement 20. This cover may carry a tablet 2| or other suitable marker, or an inscription may be carved directly in it. i

The inner vault may be of similar construction to theouter, although no tapered pilasters similar to those designated I5 are required, it being suicient to rest the casket 23 upon floor spacers 24, which, in this instance also, best stop short of the sides of the vault to permitfree air 'cir-f1 culation beneath thecasket and around it in all directions. The cover 25 may likewise be sealed in place by means of la rabbeted and cemented joint 426, andan opening 21, also surrounded by an upwardly projecting shoulder 28, may be left therein,.,and arranged,'if desired, directly beneath the opening I'I in the outer cover. These openings are of course to permit air circulating Within the vaults to rise into the warmer space immediately beneath the 4small cover I9, whichl is ordinarily arranged above'ground. l

If desired, as` shown in Figure 4, a flatcover, as I9', 'may beused instead of the cover I9 shown in Figures 1 and 3, and a memorial tablet, as 2|',

may be arranged'upon itswho'rizontal surface, or

an inscription carved therein. `This is of course entirely optional and frequently depends upon cemetery regulations. If it is desired to cover the mausoleum with earth, it may be buried at greater depth and a st ackassembly,l formed of hollow cement or vitreous blocks as 29, used to provide communication between the air spaces block 29 may be cemented over the orifice I'I, as by means of theseal 202, ini a manner similar to the arrangement of the cover I 9, andthe upper block as 30 may be formed with an integral top 3| to which `the tablet or plaque 2 I2 may be secured.

Figures 7 to 11 inclusive show a somewhat modied construction in which the inner vault is replaced by slab-like supports which nevertheless provide at less expense the same advantages of free air circulation, and strength almost equal to that of the double vault construction previously described. In this form the vault |03 isprovided with sidewalls somewhat thicker than those of the outer vault previously described, the outer `243`, formed upon the top surface of the lower slab 223 and extending only partially thereacross. The'lower slab 223.rests upon va shoulder |63 formed in the wall ofthe. vault nearithe floor,` and `a "similar shoulder, as 263, vis provided near the top of the vault to support the upper slab 253. j The cover I3 may in its constructionaldetailsand themanner in which it is sealed in place be similar to those described in connection with the` previously disclosedembodiments,V and like lbe'either completely sealed, or special provision vfor circulation therewithin made by means of an orifice such asemployed in the covers of the inner vaults iirst described. In Figures l0 and 11`the enclosed ducts are designated |54, and as shown in Figure 11,'these ducts are bent inwardly 'at their lower extremities, as at |55, to open into the space beneath the lower slabA 224, and are left open at their upper ends above the upper slab 254. I

-While it will beapparent'that lthe illustrated embodimentsof my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulll the objects and advantages primarily set forth, it is to be understood that the invention is subject'to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims. What I claim is: 1. vA burial vault structure comprising a closed receptacle adapted to be placedl inthe ground and having an upwardly projecting stack portion communicating with the interiorof the receptacle butexposable to the air above ground, an inner receptacle within the rst mentioned receptacle, means for positioningthe inner receptaclezwithin the outer in such manner as to permit air circulation between. them and about all sides of the inner receptacle,and means within the inner receptacle to supporta casket therein in such manner as to permit circulation of air about all sides thereof.

2. A burial vault structure comprising a closed receptacle adapted to be placed in the ground and having an upwardly projecting portion'com- .municating with the interior of the receptacle but exposable to the air above ground, an inner receptacle within the first mentioned receptacle, means for positioning the inner receptaclewithin theouter in such manner as to permit air circulation between them and about all sides of the inner receptacle, and means within'the inner receptacle to support a casket therein insuch manner as to permit circulation of airabout all sides thereof, the inner receptacle having an aperture therein providing communication between the inner and outer receptacles, whereby airmay circulate between the receptacles and about all sides of both the inner receptacle and the casket;

3'. A burialvaultstructure comprising a closed receptacle adapted to be placed in the ground, an inner receptacle within the outer, means formed integrally with the outer receptacle for positioning the inner receptacle within and in spacedvrelation to the walls and floors of the outer receptacle to permit free circulation of air about all sides of the innerreceptacle, and means within and formed integrally with the inner receptacle for positioning a casket therewithin and Yspaced from the walls and iloor thereof in such manner as to permit free circulation of air about all sides of the casket.

4. A burial vault comprising a hollow receptacle adapted to be buried underground and having a. casket chamber therein, and a stack structure opening into a portion within the receptacle communicating with the casket chamber, and projecting upwardly therefrom and sealed at its' top. 5. A burial vault comprising a hollow receptacle adapted to be buried underground and having a casket chamber therein, and a stack structure formed in a plurality of sections, communicating at its lower end with the casket chamber, and projecting upwardly a material distance from the receptacle, said stack being sealed at its top and adapted to be exposed to the air aboveground. 6. In a burial vault structure havinga casket chamber therein, a.v hollow stack connected with the chamber and projecting upwardly from` the vault in such kmanner that the vault may` be buried underground with thetop ofthe stack extending upwardly into the ain '7. In a burial vault, an outer receptacle having a floor and an open top, an inner iioor therewithin and spacedv above the rst, a. casket supported by y and vspacedabove the inner-oor, an inner covei' i spaced above the casket,and an outer coversealed, y upon the outer receptacle` said outer receptaclel f having vertically extending air channels each open along the full eifectiveheight of ,its inner sideA and connecting the space between and the spaces above and below the inner vfloor and cover.

8. A burial vault structure comprising a closed.

receptacle adapted to'be placed in the ground, an inner receptacle within the outer, spacing and ductffo'rming members within and extending vertically of the sides of theouter receptacle anddening vertical channels open throughout ltheir height on the inner face of said outer receptacle and tapering inward toward the bottom thereof, and spacing the inner receptacleA from the walls of the outer and forV lproviding air vchsimn'els throughwhichair may circulate about the inner receptacle. e CHARLES O.- A. BRUNK. 

